'We all know someone down through the last few years who has had an accident here'

Work is due to commence in the coming days on a roundabout on the N15 at Laghey and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.  

The sod was turned by Cathaoirleach of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal, Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) on Monday, February 16. 

Cllr Naughton said: “This is a great day for the community of Laghey, for the people of south Donegal and for everyone who uses this road. “This is a very busy junction. 

“We all know someone down through the last few years who has had an accident here.

“This roundabout will make the traffic flow better, it will make it safer, but more importantly, it will save lives. 

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“Today is very special, it is something we have been lobbying for for a number of years. 

“I am honoured and privileged to be turning the sod on this project.”

Byran Cannon, Director of Service for Roads and Transportation of Donegal County Council said: “It is a very special day for the locals, for Donegal County Council public representatives, for TII, and the council. 

“I would like to acknowledge TII for providing the funding for the project. This is a very important scheme. The investment will bring long-term benefits for the people that live here, the people that work here, and the people that travel through here. 

The N15 is a vital gateway into Donegal and into the wider northwest, and this project shows our ongoing commitment to making our roads safer and more efficient.

“We’d like to thank the people of Laghey for their support, as well as our elected representatives who have backed the scheme from day one.”

Mr Cannon thanked staff from his own department, and wished the contractor and site supervision teams all the best as construction gets underway. 

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Damian McDermott, Senior Engineer of Donegal County Council welcomed the members in attendance and thanked the project team of Johnny McGill, Thomas Fox from the National Roads Office and Regional Road Safety Engineer Karen Hartin for the preliminary work in getting the project to the construction phase. 

“They are a small team but a very valuable team and much-needed,” he said. 

The Construction Contract is awarded to Northstone Materials Ltd, with Roughan and O’Donovan Consulting Engineers acting as the Employer Representative for Donegal County Council. 

Cllr Noel Jordan (SF) is Chairperson of Donegal County Council’s (Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) for Roads. 

He told Donegal Live: “This has been lobbied for a long, long time, since I got elected in 2014. It is a great news story for Laghey but particularly for all the road users from the main Sligo direction into Donegal

“We know that this has been a serious accident black spot for years. This roundabout will make the roads a lot safer for all the road users and will take away that fear of accidents happening here.”

Cllr Jordan commended Donegal County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). 

“We have a delegation to the TII every year,” he said. “All the councillors from the Donegal MD take all their problems to the TII and this is one that is going to be solved. 

“It is a great day for Laghey and a great day for the south of Donegal.”